Nairobi, Kenya
May 11, 2007
The solution to the Collapse
Colony Disorder (CCD), a phenomenon that has baffled beekeepers
and researchers in America and Europe, may just be found in
Africa.
Characterised by the sudden mass exodus of bees from their
hives, CCD was first reported in America in November 2006, and
has rapidly spread to over 20 American States. Some CCD cases
have also been reported in Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal and
Spain. CCD is increasingly becoming a crisis, causing beekeepers
losses of between 30 – 90% and posing a potential threat in
European agriculture, where honeybees are of great economic
importance.
A study by scientists from the Nairobi-headquartered
icipe – African Insect Science
for Food and Health, conducted jointly with colleagues from
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), suggests
that there could be a link between microganisms from invasive
species, such as the small hive beetle, recently introduced into
the US from Africa. In their findings, published in the
Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS,
4th May 2007), the researchers observe that, though of no
consequence to African honeybees, the small hive beetle
decimates European honeybee colonies with impunity through a
fungus that it carries.
“Beetles are scavengers and their job is to clean up. In the
case of the small hive beetle, it uses a fungus to digest
left-over pollen, from which it gets its nutrients. This fungus
causes fermentation, in effect causing a change in the chemistry
in the hives. Since bees are very sensitive to such variations,
they eventually abandon the hives,” explains icipe scientist, Dr
Baldwyn Torto.
He adds that African honeybees are generally highly hygienic;
they don’t allow debris to accumulate in their hives, so there
is little for the small hive beetles to scavenge and to support
growth and establishment of other microorganisms. In addition,
because of having to constantly deal with a wide diversity of
tropical microorganisms while foraging, the African honeybees
have evolved ways to fight diseases more effectively, and
respond more quickly to any new challenges. On the other hand,
says Dr Torto, European honeybees unlike their African cousins
are unable to effectively inhibit infestations by this beetle.
“Knowing what allows African honeybees to survive attacks under
the tough tropical conditions, and introducing these components
into European honeybees, might be a step towards resolving the
CCD,” says Dr Torto. |
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